For a B-Day party I was asked to present some Pinots to show its range and variety. I went for a random grab but it turned out that everything showed very well.
2001 Arcadian Sleepy Hollow Vineyard
We started with this and it pretty much decimated the competition. A tough act to follow but thankfully there was still wine left to re-visit. This wine is alive and kicking and still on an upswing. A hall of fame Cali pinot for me.
2005 Pali Turner Vineyard (SRH)
This wine still needs air time but I think it has showed a great progression over the last 6 months. I think bottle time is still a good idea for this wine but with air (or on the second day) the wine has a very integrated bust of fruit. A big forward wine but nice acid, no heat and the sweetness is well in check.
2004 WesMar RRV
I am scared of 04s Cali pinot right now but this one was a beauty. Still primary but starting to unwind. With the bowl of roses sitting on a bowl cherries aromatics I was hooked. As were the other tasters. I think this 04 will make it through puberty.
2005 Frederic Magnien Nuits St Georges VV
Big leap over to France. Now we see some tannin and much more subtlety. I brought this one home (along with the Pali) and it took a day to start showing more of its components. A lot of fruit but when paired next to the Cali pinots it came off as only a little fruit. Shows nice balance and good structure. Has lots of red fruit but not super ripe and certainly not sweet. A nice spice component showed up on the second day. Give this some time.
2005 Bouchard Beaune du Chateau (1er Cru)
Fabulous toasty nose. Lots of ripe, dark fruit. On the palate, it is a bit gripping and shut down. And the oak and tannin come to the front. The fruit is there and I hope with time the oak will take a back seat. There certainly seems to be plenty of fruit to emerge. Still I really enjoyed this wine and it is a very nice deal at the sub $30 price point.
Cheers,
Jason